Distribution system for vapor electric apparatus.



C. A. AHAUS I?. D. MAILEY, msmulom SYSTEM FOR VAPOR ELECTHIQ APPAIEAIUS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-2, 1999 1,272,462;m Pageme; 5 III;

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

.CHARLES A. KRAUS, NEVJTON HIGHLANDS, AND ROY D. MALEY, OF LYNN,

MASSACHUSETTS.

DISTRIBUTION 'SYSTEM FOR VAPOR ELECTRIC APPARITUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

ratented July 16, 1918.

Application led August 27, 1909. Serial No. 514,907.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CHARLES A. Knaus and Roy D, MAILEY, citi'fens of the United States, and residents of Newton Highlands and Lynn, in the ycounties of Middlesex and Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented newl and useful Im rovements in Distribution Systems for apor 'Electric Apparatus, of which the following is a' speciication.

Our invention relates to the arrangement and operation of vapor electric apparatus, of. which the Well-known vapor rectifier is an example, and consists in a system of electrical distribution whereby the operation of such apparatus is safeguarded against the usual vconsequences of short circuiting, and whereby also alternating currents of greater magnitude than have heretofore been einplovedmay be successfully manipulated.

enerally speaking, the' mode by which we attain the objects of our invention is to employ apair of rectifier containers in each of which provision is made t'or maintenance of the arc by a pair of anodes, one of which however lies in a circuit equipped with controlling reactance so that the function of this anode is to maintain the are, while the otheranode is in the working or load circuit. The relationshlp of the working anodes ofthe two containers is such that each provides an electrical check valve while their location in diierent containers makes it impossible for short circuiting-to take place between them. Thus the armaintammg v advantages of the two-anode containers are combined with the advantages of immunity from short'circuiting. Moreover, both the arc-maintaining and load circuits are excited from a source of alternating currentso that the complication of independent circuits for arc maintenance, which has been resorted to to a limited extent, is eliminated from the construction and operation of our apparatus.

In the rectifiers in common commercial use at the present time two anodes and a mereury cathode are contained in a single envelop, the current owing alternately in one anode and the other and always-through the load. It is evident that in such an arrangement when the current on one anode is a maximum the potential which the check l,valve act-ion of the other anode must restrain is also a maximum. In other words, the tendency to force the current through the anode and form a short circuit, is greatest on the anode which should be inactive.

We have found by experiment that the reliability of the check Valve action or' the anodes is largely qualified by the current flowing on the anode at the time that the given anode is exerting its check valve action. The ideal condition would be one in which no current whatever were iowing in the container at the time that the anode acts as a check valve. However, since it is necessary to keep the arc alive in order-\that the desired current may flow in the next half cycle, -it is indispensable to maintain an actuating or auxiliary current, and advantageous to keep that current as small as possible. A small auxiliary current is adequate to keep the arc alive since if a. current flows in the container the entire space within is a goed conductor. Under such conditions, the resistance which an anode oiiers to allowing a current to pass into it breaks down very readily.

TVe have, therefore, devised a system wherein the two half cycles which are to furnish current for the load., are rectified in two structurally independent but functionally cooperating vacuum containers each equipped with a mercury cathode and an` anode through which the main current flows. This anode we wiil term the main anode. Since it is necessary to provide also for maintaining the are during the-.half cycle when no current flows in the main anode,

i an auxiliary anode is provided in each conwas attempted to employ alternating current with such lamps. Accordingly, an auxiliary electrode was introduced for the purpose of nizrintaining the are. Apparently, however, those engaged inl the development of the ractiiicr overlooked entirely the advantages of this system, which we shall call the divided rectifier s vsteni. o serious attempt. seems to hare heen inalde to develop this system. (Bn the other hand, the derelopnient ol the ari, has resulted in the conn hination ot' both anodes in a single envelop. This method has heen applied successfully to rectifier-s of sinallcapacitydmt when iai-ge currents were attempted, short circuit arcs 'reenited liroln our studies of the check valve etliciency of an anode in a mercury vapor which was rendered coinluctiiue by the presence of an arc, we were led to helieve that t'or large currents, the divided rectifier system is the only one that'can he successfully applied.

Ve have constructed rectiliers of this type carrying upward of G ainpercs without any arcing whatsoever.

The vacuuni enrelops in these rectitiers were constructed of metal. n 'the case of nietal rectifiers, the divided type et apparatus is ot', especial advantage, since it makes it possible to employ symmetrical cylindricai containers which inalie this construction very simple.

In the drawing hereto annexed there is shown diagrannnaticaily a duplex roctiiier system which ein'bodies our inrention- In this drawing the, conventional representation ot' tlie'rectilier containers is tl'iat which is ordinarily used to denote the glass containers of commercial practice. Uur in- ,vention however*` contemplates the employment of currents` of such magnitude-as to render the employment ot' metal containers practically necessary.

In the accompanying drawing;` "i7 and vif represent the two rectifying units, equipped respectively with the cathodes JC and WC, main anodes VA und NVAi and auxiliary anodes VA and 'Vi/VA. lill and Vi are transformer primaries connected to the alternating current line wires. VS and ii/ 57' are the seconclaries whose mid point is connected to one end oi the load circuit-L, the other end of the work circuit attached to both the main anodes V and virili-ii. The outer terminals of the secondaries VS and VIS are connected respectively to the cathoclcs VC- anfl WC. The auxiliar)7 anodes VA. and EVA. are supplied with cur- 'spectivelv rent by the auxiliar;7 transformers (of relatively low potential), VP and WP' being primaries and VS and WS secondaries re- 'ihe auxiliary secondarics are connected 'to the cathode togetl'icr with the main secondaries, at VK and WK; Vl and ivi are reactanccs to control the auxiliary currents. The phase relations of the circuit. are so adjusted, that current flows in the main anodes VA and WA in alternate haii" cfifcles. Also in cach main anode and its correenonding` auxiliary anode, Curren tiows in alternate haltl cycles.

Shouhl the rectifier. either V or iV. arc

cross hctween its anodes the presence of the control reactance (Vi. or YWL) in the circuit closed hyareing` will repress and control the current prevent-ing it'troni rising to dangerous values and thus preserving the rectitier its/eli` against injury. i

iVhat we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. In a distrilnition system? a pair of vacuum containers. ea zh conuirisinga vaporizahle catl'iode and two anodes, an alternating;` circuit peculiar to each anode of each container, certain ot' said circuits heilig of different current carrying` capacity from the others` a load common to the anode circuits of higher current capacity and a source of alternatingrr current connnonJ to anode circuits of both containers. i

2. in a. distribution systcn., a pair ot vacu .uni containers, each container included in an alternating current circuit which is (livided into two branches, ineach of vwhich branches is one anode and both of `which branches have a cathode connection in coniinon and a control reactance between an ano( c and the common circuit connection` a load connnon to the 'an'ode circuits unati'ectcd ny control reactancc and a source of alternating current conunon to anodecircuits ot' both containers.

Signed by us at Boston. Massachusetts, this 23d day ot' August, 1909.

viv'itnesses:

tl mauri lei. Lewis, Bonnin' CUSHMAN. 

